Networking entrepreneurs

Giving back

NETWORKING FOR Success

MOTIVATION, DETERMINATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT ALL COME PERFECTLY PACKAGED IN THE HIRSCH’S VIRTUAL BUSINESS EVENTS AIMED AT HELPING BUSINESS OWNERS TO GROW AND THRIVE IN DIFFICULT TIMES

From helping business owners to find their “why”, to giving them sound, solid advice on marketing, finance, sales and good health (business and personal), the Hirsch’s virtual networking business events have been an absolute boon for the business community.

The events include weekly Entrepreneurs Workshops Margaret hosts with Marlene Powell, award-winning business coach with ActionCOACH, as well as monthly Women in Business virtual meetings, all having been a wonderful networking platform for women in business in the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people have either Zoomed in or followed the events on FB live on Margaret’s page over the last 12 months, with more and more people attending every event.

Margaret – who is passionate about entrepreneurship, was awarded her MBA in 2020, and did her thesis on the subject – has poured out wellheeded advice to the business community, giving them encouragement and inspiration to keep going. Marlene Powell’s sage business advice, gained from many years of coaching, has given entrepreneurs a good idea of the tools required to keep their businesses on an even keel so that they can work on their businesses and not in them.

A variety of top speakers have been invited to give presentations over the last 12 months and have done an excellent job injecting

 Mind power guru Robin Banks.  Marlene Powell and Margaret Hirsch.  Entrepreneur and marketing specialist, Dimakatso Moloantoa.

positive energy into their presentations. Internationally recognised speakers like Robin Banks have given their time to help business owners through the down time. Robin – a global leader on the subject of mind power – congratulated Margaret and Marlene for setting up the Entrepreneurs Workshops platform and explained that right now what entrepreneurs need is not so much motivation, but advice on transformation – and that is what they have been getting at these workshops. Marketing is a popular topic at the workshops with a variety of marketing experts putting forward their point of view. Dimakatso Moloantoa, owner of Amari Marketing, explained that the first area of marketing entrepreneurs should look at right now is social media. “Be consistent. Post three times a week. Put some inspiration out there to make people laugh!” she said.

The feedback from their virtual audience has been extremely encouraging for Margaret and Marlene. “Our regular attendees have shown how incredibly resilient they are in the face of adversity,”

 Lindiwe Rakharebe, ICC Durban boss.  Shilpa Mehta, business owner and President of Durban Entrepreneurs’ Organisation.  Este Pretorius, LinkedIn guru.  Health guru and anti-ageing specialist, Dr Tamara Pheiffer.

says Margaret. “We have seen businesses grow and thrive over the last 18 months. Some

have had to work on a side hustle to make ends meet, but these have also gone well.”

Margaret’s Women in Business networking platform was also packed full of topnotch speakers. Women who have gone the extra mile in their own lives and their businesses and who, like Margaret, want to help fellow businesswomen do the same.

 Mathabo Kunene – South African icon, entrepreneur and catering expert.  Stacey Copas, Australian quadriplegic and motivational speaker.  Eustace Mashimbe – proudly South African. Shilpa Mehta, the co-owner of Production Logix and the President of the Durban Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, is the perfect example.

Shilpa’s advice: “Know your worth. Keep yourself relevant and know where you are placed in the market. Never tolerate bad behaviour, even if it comes from the top. Build a team you would like to take with you to war if necessary!” Shilpa explained that her all-women team is packed full of people with grit and determination who are resilient and smart – and phenomenal negotiators.

Internationally renowned speaker, Stacey Copas from Australia, was also on the platform. Stacey is a quadriplegic (after an accident when she was 12), and although she thought at the time that her life was over, she made the decision to pull herself together and find the gift that her disability had given her – to be able to motivate people in similar circumstances. Today she travels the world (virtually now) to give talks on resilience and self-belief.

Check out Hirsch’s and Margaret’s Facebook pages for advice on upcoming virtual events. H